"Korea, with a Well-Established Value Chain, Plays an Essential Role in Nuclear Power Expansion" Says World Nuclear Association Secretary General

'2025 Korea Nuclear Annual Conference' Press Conference in Korea
"Other Countries Should Follow Korea's Example in Nuclear Plant Operation"
"Nuclear Power Requires a Pragmatic, Not Political, Approach"

Sama Bilbao Y Leon, Secretary General of the World Nuclear Association. Nuclear Industry Association

"Nuclear power can play a crucial role in ensuring current energy security and achieving future carbon neutrality. To accomplish this, global cooperation is essential. The role of Korea, which has a well-established nuclear value chain, is indispensable."

Sama Bilbao Y Leon, Secretary General of the World Nuclear Association (WNA), who visited Korea to attend the '2025 Korea Nuclear Annual Conference' held at Lotte Hotel Seoul on April 29, stated this during a press conference on the same day. She emphasized Korea's role at a time when nuclear power is expected to be central in achieving carbon neutrality and responding to climate change, saying, "Korea has excellent nuclear suppliers that can help other countries."

At the International Energy Agency (IEA) Ministerial Meeting held in Paris, France, in February, a joint statement was issued recognizing the potential of nuclear power as a clean energy source. At the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29) held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November last year, 31 countries joined a declaration to triple global nuclear power generation capacity by 2050.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) intermediate scenario proposes expanding nuclear power capacity to 1,200 gigawatts (GW) by 2050. Achieving this target would require adding 40 GW of capacity every year. Secretary General Leon emphasized, "To achieve this, long-term policies, collaboration between the nuclear industry and capital markets, and building consensus on the necessity of nuclear power generation are required."

Secretary General Leon, who has visited Korea several times, assessed, "Korea has well-established nuclear technology and supply chains, as well as abundant experience." She added, "I was impressed by Korea's continued accumulation and documentation of nuclear operation experience, and I believe other countries should follow Korea's example in nuclear plant operation."

In Korea, nuclear power policy frequently changes depending on the administration. Regarding this, Secretary General Leon stated, "Many countries are adopting a pragmatic rather than a political approach to nuclear power," and emphasized, "It is necessary to view energy as a long-term asset." She added, "Above all, what matters most is achieving autonomy in energy supply," and "With nuclear energy, which can be produced anywhere, each country can secure energy independence."

Regarding small modular reactors (SMRs), which are attracting growing global interest, she said, "SMRs are a well-known technology that has been in use for over 50 years," and projected that their deployment will expand in the 2030s, five years from now. However, Secretary General Leon advised, "Each country applies different standards and frameworks to SMRs, so efforts to maximize and optimize collaboration among regulatory authorities are necessary."